Jeremy Cross in Houston

This is DR Congo's first appearance at a World Cup since 1974.

But it hasn't taken them long to realise nothing - or no-one - can steal the limelight from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Well, apart from Lionel Messi that is.

Ronaldo is making a record-equalling sixth World Cup appearance.

Portugal team-mate Bruno Fernandes has revealed Ronaldo had been "anxious" in the build up to his team's opening Group K game in Houston.

But if this were true, it didn't feel like it when Ronaldo led his team out into the Houston Stadium to warm up.

With his chest stuck out like a peacock. Ronaldo couldn't resist a quick glance up to the big screen behind the goal to see his face beaming back at him.

Just how he likes it.

Thousands of Portuguese supporters let out huge cheers to greet their evergreen icon.

Ronaldo remains the talisman of this team, despite him now being 41 and well past the peak of his powers.

Ronaldo's welcome might have been predictable.

But what few Portuguese fans had not expected, was to have found themselves queuing up to purchase ponchos outside the stadium.

Tropical rain greeted all those heading to the match.

And the only person who seemed happy about this was the bloke flogging said ponchos.

Ahead of tonight's opening World Cup match, Portugal have named their starting line-up for the Group K clash against DR Congo.

Cristiano Ronaldo starts for Portugal, as does Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes, Chelsea's Pedro Neto and new Real Madrid signing Bernardo Silva,, who will leave Manchester City this summer.

Portugal XI: Costa; Cancelo, Araujo, Veiga, Mendes; Vitinha, Neves; Silva, Fernandes, Neto; Ronaldo

The World Cup continues tonight with several more important group stage fixtures taking centre stage in North America.

England fans will be keeping an eye on tonight's fixture against Croatia, but there are three more matches taking place across the tournament.

Here, Mirror Football takes a look at tonight's FIFA World Cup schedule:

• Portugal vs DR Congo (6pm kick-off - Group K)
• England vs Croatia (9pm kick-off - Group L)
• Ghana vs Panama (12am kick-off - Group L)
• Uzbekistan vs Colombia (3am kick-off - Group K)

Tonight we will be expected to see Cristiano Ronaldo in action for the first time at this summer's World Cup.

Portugal take on DR Congo in their first Group K fixture, where Ronaldo and Co. wll be hoping to get all three points in their opening fixture.

Kick-off is at 6pm UK time from Houston Stadium, and you'll be able to follow LIVE updates right here.

England football fans Lauren and James Portwood are supporting the Three Lions in Texas today… on their honeymoon.

The happy newlywed couple got married earlier this month. And James decided to whisk his new bride off to the United States to support Thomas Tuchel’s men. They have been planning a special honeymoon ever since they became engaged in 2024. Lauren said: “England winning today would be the best wedding present ever!” And James added: “It’s going to be a very special few days.”

James, 36, is an accountant and his new bride Lauren, 41, works in customer services. The couple, both Leicester City fans, live in West Bridgford, Notts and have four children Lexi, 17, Elise, 16, Teddy six and three-year-old Charlie.

The World Cup set a new attendance record on Tuesday, according to FIFA, with 281,223 combined having travelled to watch the four matches on offer yesterday.

France and Senegal saw 80,545 attendees, Argentina and Algeria saw 69,045, Austria and Jordan 68,527 and Iraq and Norway 63,106. The total outstrips the previous record set in 1994, the last time the World Cup came to the US, when 277,070 people attended another four games.

According to FIFA, average attendance figures for this year are on track to surpass the highest ever cumulative record of 3.5 million attendees, which was also set in 1994.

French World Cup midfielder Adrien Rabiot has raised concerns over pitch quality at the MetLife stadium, saying it felt "more like an artifical surface".

The stadium, currently branded as New York New Jersey stadium, hosted the France-Senegal match on Tuesday in New Jersey, and will host the final England group game against Panama on June 27. Rabiot, 31, who played the full match as part of France's starting roster, was critical of the pitch, saying it felt "quite hard and quite rigid".

He said: "The pitch... I don't even know if you can call it that. It felt more like an artificial surface - quite hard and quite rigid." The midfielder added that the pitch impeded the game's natural flow as it got hotter, saying: "In the second half, with the heat, the pitch dries out very quickly. The game becomes very sluggish and we can't get into our rhythm."

England manager Thomas Tuchel was joking and relaxed last night as he enjoyed a coffee with Football Association staff in a hotel cafe.

The former Chelsea boss was spotted by England fans smiling and laughing in a group of eight. He had just arrived at the Hotel Adolphus in downtown Dallas. As soon as the players had left their team bus and checked into their rooms Tuchel took his backroom staff through the lobby and into the City Hall bistro.

They mixed with other guests. Some England supporters were actually staying in the hotel and were delighted to see how relaxed he was. Jim Pullman, from Nottingham, said: “It was a very relaxed atmosphere. They were laughing and joking and while Tuchel was the centre of attention it was clear he was enjoying being part of the team.

“There were no players but just backroom staff in FA kit enjoying coffees and soft drinks.” The team are only staying at the four star hotel - just half a mile from where President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 - of one night before flying back to the team HQ in Kansas after the game.

FIFA's public relations machine has gone into overdrive.

The 2026 World Cup has taken less than a week to be hit with controversies, despite the stunning starts of the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. And Cristiano Ronaldo hasn't even kicked a ball in anger yet.

But empty seats in stadiums, farcical 'hydration breaks', red card chaos in Mexico, travel problems and a bloated schedule, have all contributed to a difficult start to the tournament in North America.

And don't get me started on the fact president Gianni Infantino is using a private jet to fly across the continent watching two games a day.

What was it he said about the last World Cup being the most 'sustainable' one in history? But few organisations sweep bad news under the carpet more thoroughly than FIFA does.

So no-one should be surprised world football's governing body has been quick to pat itself on the back. Insisting more than 54 million tuned in for the opening games, "highlighting the tournament's unparalleled ability to bring people together and captivate audiences across North America."

Times change, but FIFA's ability to put more positive spin on things than a Messi shot at goal, remains just the same.

Bruno Fernandes wants Portugal to inspire future generations of footballers to follow their dreams of making it to a World Cup.

The Manchester United captain grew up watching his heroes represent Portugal in the biggest tournaments on the planet, with his first memories being of the 2004 Euros in his homeland. And now he is on the brink of continuing the lifelong ambition of being a hero himself, when Roberto Martinez's men take on DR Congo in Houston.

Fernandes said: "I'm always nervous and it feels like it's my first game. But I think it's good anxiety. That eagerness to be out on the pitch. The dream of thousands of boys and girls, tuning in from Portugal, I was that kid once, back in 2004.

"It's the first one I have memories of. I walked up to the big screens to see the paint on my face. I hope these kids back home feel represented and can dream. Because that's how my dreams started."

Turkish state broadcaster TRT confirmed this morning that a commentator has been removed from its World Cup roster after he mixed up Iran and New Zealand's teams.

The commentator, who was identified by Turkish media as Murat Ekrem Çimen, has been withdrawn from TRT's US-based broadcasting team pending an investigation, the network said. He will not continue to comment on matches during the tournament.

The move comes after an embarrassing slip-up by Çimen, who referred to Iran's attacks as New Zealand's and New Zealand’s moves as Iran’s as the broadcast opened on Monday. The two teams, from the World Cup Group G drew 2-2 on Monday night.

TRT said the confusion was "unacceptable" under its broadcasting standards, with a spokesperson saying in a statement: "We apologize to our viewers and the public for this error. It is unacceptable for TRT that someone with over 30 years of experience in sports broadcasting would make such a mistake.”

An England superfan has taken his Three Lions support to the next level by adopting the hairstyle of the team's gaffer head of tonight’s showdown with Croatia.

Rufus Benfell's move echoes one of English football’s most memorable fan moments, when a young supporter famously asked his barber for “the Sven’ ahead of the 2002 World Cup. More than two decades later, Rufus is hoping his own tournament trim can help bring a bit of luck to the Three Lions

Rufus said: "I wanted to come up with a unique way of uniting the nation, celebrating the World Cup and helping to bring communities together, so I thought: why not go for a Thomas Tuchel haircut?”

Think you've got the courage for a Tuchel? World Cuts opens on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June at Ruffians Shoreditch, London. Fans can book in advance or walk in on a first-come, first-served basis.

Norway fans enjoyed a viral moment this week after they were seen getting ready for yesterday's match against Iraq with a very special preparation ritual.

A video making the rounds last night showed the fans "rowing" up an escalator before the nation's exciting first game, which saw players dominate and ultimately beat out their Middle Eastern competitors 4-1.

Thomas Tuchel says England feels like home - even if he is not ready to sing the national anthem.

Tuchel said after taking the job that he will have to earn the right to sing God Save The King as he prepares to lead England into his first World Cup campaign. But the German boss says he is “not there yet” yet clearly wants to win over the nation by leading England to glory this summer.

Tuchel is also relishing the opportunity because he says he has built up a strong affinity to his adopted nation before they face Croatia in their group opener.

England's debut fixture against Croatia will no doubt be at the forefront of everyone's minds this morning, with the Three Lions set to take to the pitch at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The match is one of four today, including:

Portugal vs DR Congo: 1pm ET (6pm BST)

England vs Croatia: 4pm ET (9pm BST)

Ghana vs Panama: 7pm ET (12am BST)

Uzbekistan vs Colombia: 10pm ET (3am BST)

Following his hat-trick success last night, top scorer Messi has become the new Golden Boot favourite, according to the latest odds from Betway.

World Cup Golden Boot

Lionel Messi - 11/4

Kylian Mbappe - 3/1

Harry Kane - 8/1

Erling Haaland - 9/1

Kai Havertz - 12/1

25/1 BAR

Lewis Knowles, Betway's spokesperson, said: ''He was generally unfancied in the Golden Boot market at around 20/1 before the tournament started, but Lionel Messi proved last night that even at the age of 38, he's still one of the best players on the planet, and the Argentinian magician now heads our Golden Boot market at 11/4.''

Visit Betway for the latest World Cup odds

18+ | UK only | begambleaware.org

England's German World Cup 2026 manager has said he won't be singing the country's national anthem, saying "I think we are not there yet".

Bavarian-born Thomas Tuchel told reporters earlier this week that he would consider singing the anthem "at the very end maybe", adding: "I am still a bit shy. I don’t want to offend people and don’t want to have the focus on that now.”

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England fans bought more than 5,000 beers as hundreds defied police orders to move on from a Dallas pub ahead of the Three Lions’ World cup opener against Croatia.

Despite the Londoner Pub, in Dallas, advertising a later closing time, fans were ordered to move on by bar staff and two police officers just before 10pm. The pub was eventually cleared, but many remained on the balcony outside the building for another couple of hours.

Officers confirmed the early closure was due to the venue reaching maximum capacity, with only two security guards on duty.

Before closing its doors, the Londoner staff said they manged to sell 2,352 bottles of beer, more than 5,000 beers in total, making more than £30,000 from the evening.

Portugal have refused to confirm if Roberto Martinez will still be manager after the World Cup.

Reports have claimed Martinez will stand down following the competition. And while brushing aside the rumours, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) have not denied them either. A statement said: "The FPF and Roberto Martinez are focused exclusively on the World Cup.

"The federation and the coach are aligned on this matter, as they have publicly stated." Martinez, 52, will be out of contract next month. The former Everton manager was appointed head coach in 2023, following the team's shock quarter-final exit to Morocco at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Martinez has overseen one major tournament with Portugal, leading his side to the last eight of Euro 2024, before losing to France on penalties. It's understood Martinez and his bosses have agreed to postpone talks about a potential new deal until after the tournament.

But this will not stop Martinez from having to field questions about his future, when he faces the media at Houston Stadium in under an hour's time. Jose Mourinho had been linked with replacing Martinez, but has re-joined Real Madrid instead for a second spell in charge.

Portugal saw their preparations for a training session on the beach before their World Cup opener disrupted by security concerns close to their Palm Beach hotel. Cristiano Ronaldo and his team-mates have used the Four Seasons resort as their base and hoped to make use of a private beach during some down-time before a change of plans was required.

According to reports from the Portuguese media, the players caused a stir when stepping towards the private beach. A public bathing area is nearby and security personnel stepped in amid concerns at the footballers being disturbed by members of the public.

A Bola reports that security urged players to retreat back to their hotel and the coaching staff are said to have moved the training session back into the pool area. There was said to be a fear that it would be impossible to create a bubble around the public beach area which - like the private section - opened out onto the Atlantic Ocean.

It's finally here! England kick off their World Cup campaign against Croatia later today.

Fans have been waiting for months for the big Three Lions’ kick off - which comes almost a week after the tournament started. They have taken over downtown Dallas with a huge army of supporters sitting in the sunshine bellowing out “Football’s Coming Home.”

Gary Taylor, 64, said: “We’ve been waiting for so long. We’re so excited we finally have our first game.” Many of them took a short walk to visit the notorious ‘grassy knoll’ where President Kennedy was shot in 1963. Meanwhile, there was shock news from England’s Kansas City HQ yesterday.

Ruben Dias has been ruled out of Portugal's opening World Cup game against DR Congo in Houston.

The Manchester City defender is one of Roberto Martinez's most important stars. But he has picked up a problem in training - and will be sidelined. Martinez said: "He came in perfectly and played the 90 minutes with City in the Premier League.

"He worked well in the warm up games ,but football is a contact sport. We ran tests and he's doing well, but it's a case of not taking chances. You need to be 100 per cent. It was a contact incident. Nothing to do with his time in Manchester."

Bruno Fernandes has said the memory of Diego Jota will help inspire Portugal's bid to win the World Cup.

The football world was left stunned last summer when Liverpool superstar Jota and his brother Andre Silva, were both tragically killed in a car accident in their homeland. The world of sport went into mourning. And twelve months later, Fernandes insists his former team-mate and close friend is never out of the thoughts of the Portugal squad.

Roberto Martinez's side kick off their campaign against DR Congo in Houston. And Manchester United captain Fernandes said: "It's very important for us. He was in the group for so long and I played with him through the U21s. We came to the first team at the same time, and I obviously played against him in the Premier League.

"Everyone has spoken about him. It will always be good words about him. He was a great team-mate, very down to earth and a great person for the country. He's still part of our group - and always will be. So will his brother be, too. He will also be in our memories."

Portugal have never won a World Cup - and Fernandes insists there is nothing wrong with dreaming this will change in the coming weeks. He added: "The best one (team) is the one that wins (the tournament), and I hope at the end we can claim to be that.

"I do believe we have a very talented squad with great individual quality and beyond that, we are a very cohesive team and united. That what's makes this team special. "Our dream is to be there. I think dreaming is not forbidden. But our main focus is to start well and focus on the first game in hand.

"If we really want to reach the top, we have to not look too far ahead. There is a responsibility, because this team has so many talents, we just have to be decisive to reach the top."

Portugal will play its first World Cup match in the US today, with the team set to go up against the Democratic Republic of Congo at 1pm ET (6pm BST), a fixture fans are eagerly anticipating.

The team's manager, Roberto Martinez, has hailed Cristiano Ronaldo as the "killer" who can lead Portugal's assault on the World Cup. Ronaldo will be taking part in a record equalling sixth tournament of his glorious career. At the age of 41, some people have questioned if his influence on the team is still as crucial or impactful.

But Martinez has rubbished suggestions Ronaldo can no longer produce the goods at the highest level - and reckons one of the icons of the game remains as ruthless and lethal as ever. Portugal open their World Cup campaign against DR Congo in Houston.

Martinez said: "He's a role model. An iconic player in global football to young athletes and children, male and female, who start feeling the love for football on the streets. It might be is sixth World Cup, but it feels like his first when it comes to his intensity and emotions.

"He is ready to lead the group and is so essential. He's the striker, he's a killer. He's a player with excellent numbers. He's ready." Martinez, meanwhile has refused to confirm if he will continue as Portugal manager following the World Cup. Martinez's contract runs out next month and speculation is mounting he will stand down.

Martinez added: "This is not news. We talked about it a lot in Portugal. It might be news here, but not in back in Portugal. The focus is to prepare for the World Cup. I deal with this very naturally. My contract ends. It's not news, this is just a fact."

Luka Modric has responded to a touching tribute from Jordan Henderson.The Brentford man, who came out on the wrong side of the 2018 Champions League final and World Cup semi-final against Modric, said earlier this week that the Croatian is the best midfielder he's ever played against. Modric was very complimentary of his opposite number when the quote was put to him, explaining during a press conference at the AT&T Stadium: "First of all it's wonderful to hear great praise from a top player like Jordan Henderson is."We played against each other many times for club and national team, he's a true fighter and leader. My time in England has helped me a lot in my career, I had four phenomenal years in Tottenham and during this period the Premier League was, well, even today one of the best leagues in the world."This type of football helped me a lot in my development, it's truly valuable for everything that we need later."

Lionel Messi has paid tribute to the World Cup icons he has surpassed for goals after scoring a hat-trick for Argentina against Algeria.

He is now level at the very top with Miroslav Klose on 16 having only recently overtaken Gerd Muller and the Brazilian Ronaldo.

Speaking specifically on the latter, Messi said: “It is a great honor to be able to compete with all these greats, including Ronaldo Nazario, among the players I have watched. He was one of the greatest players of all time."

Good morning English fans who value their sleep but also missed quite the few hours at the World Cup.

Norway vs Iraq was likely the first game many opted against watching but the obvious highlight was the clash that followed that between Argentina (Lionel Messi) and Algeria.

The 38-year-old was at his scintillating best in Kansas City as he scored a superb hat-trick with every goal showing his undeniable quality. He is now level at the top of the World Cup scoring charts alongside Miroslav Klose on 16.

He was also involved in a controversial red card incident and hinted at personal issue causing him to cry after his first goal.

You can read all there is to know about those stories by clicking here.

Elsewhere, England boss Thomas Tuchel discussed a number of topics at his pre-Croatia press conference while tributes were paid to a Scotland fan that died in Boston.

Erling Haaland's message to Messi was also a big story as he heaped praise on him just hours after his own brace for Norway against Iraq. Kylian Mbappe also managed two great goals in France's win over Senegal.

An own goal and late Marko Arnautovic penalty sealed a vital three points for Austria against Jordan ahead of their next clash against Argentina.

Arnautovic was very impressive in the second half and did see a goal disallowed for handball only for Yazan Al-Arab to head into his own net moments later.

He was later on target from 12 yards after his shot from a flowing move deep into added time was handled.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is well-known for speaking his mind and that was exactly what he did in response to his FOX co-star Alexi Lalas after the latter suggested that France were "arrogant" in the first half against Senegal.

Referencing their impressive second-half, he said: "The reality is, if they are arrogant, it's because they can do things like that."

The former Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan striker then replied: "It's not arrogance, it's confidence. Ignorant people will say it's arrogance, intelligent people it's confidence."

Arsenal icon Thierry Henry was also on the panel and his reaction said it all as he looked on eyes wide in shock.

Alongside his hat-trick and red card near miss, Lionel Messi was also captured overcome with emotion after scoring his opening goal.

The 38-year-old was asked about that moment after the game where he confirmed that he was indeed in tears

He said: “I cried after the first goal, yes… but it was something completely unrelated to football”. “I went through some difficult days, but I’m grateful to the entire delegation and my teammates because they were always by my side, giving me a lot of strength."